On what is the biggest weekend on the Parkes calendar, celebrations will include the Parkes Picnic Races on Saturday and culminate in this historic VB NSW Cup match on the Sunday.

The VB NSW Cup season will also see two unique rounds where three double headers will be played for individual trophies in a three-pool system. The pools will be the Foundation Challenge (Newtown, North Sydney, Western Suburbs and Balmain Ryde-Eastwood), the Battle of the West (Canterbury-Bankstown, Wentworthville, Mounties and Windsor) and finally, the Battle of the Coast (Newcastle, Cronulla, Manly and Illawarra).

NSWRL General Manager Geoff Carr says off the back of a stellar year in 2011, the VB NSW Cup looks set to only further enhance its position as the premier open-age competition in Australia.